How can Juventus slow down Antonio Conte’s Inter?

Screen Romelu Lukaku

To put it candidly, Romelu Lukaku’s nothing short of a cheat code under Conte. He single-handedly destroys defensive structures. Boasting raw speed, proficient hold and link-up play, great strength and a cold-blooded nature in front of goal, Lukaku is the man you have to stop if you’re to have success against Conte’s juggernaut.

The Belgian’s reached another level under the Inter boss, with his production off the charts. 78 goal contributions, including 62 goals, in 93 Inter appearances is a ridiculous return.

When Lukaku’s on-song, which has been the case for the past two years, he’s almost impossible to defend against. He makes professionals look like amateurs, with only a mere few passing the ‘Lukaku test’ if you will.

One was Borussia Monchengladbach’s Nico Elvedi, who impressed in the San Siro last October. The Swiss international had success as a result of patience and impressive timing, engaging Lukaku after his first touch. He was rarely touch-tight and ensured the striker had limited success playing with his back to goal. Centre-backs so often make the fatal error of being aggressive against Lukaku – maybe it’s an ego thing, who knows – and attempting to shut him out via stringent man-marking. That just won’t work, as Giorgio Chiellini discovered in January.

The key, however, is cutting out the supply line and preventing the ball from reaching the Belgian’s feet.

Juve’s midfielders can’t be fooled by Inter’s press-baiting and must remain patient and diligent. However, the tendency of the pivot is to get sucked upfield and leave a gaping void between the lines: a welcome gift for Inter’s imperious strike duo.

Thus, a screener is requisite and while a concerted effort to stop Lukaku offers Inter and Conte other avenues to exploit, this is a necessary move.

Rodrigo Bentancur is arguably most suited to the role due to his athleticism and awareness, but I think Danilo could be the solution. The Brazilian’s certainly capable of performing the specialist function and enjoyed a prosperous, albeit brief, spell in the Juventus midfield back in March.